Research Interests

Web Resources

Publications

Link to PubMed (Opens new window. Close the PubMed window to return to this page.)

Research Abstract

Regulation of virus-induced innate immunity.

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) expressed on cells are important for detecting pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) during virus infections and promoting innate inflammatory immune responses to the virus. While these responses are essential for eradication of a virus from the host, these responses may lead to extensive immunopathogenic tissue damage if not properly regulated. Among the myriad of proteins that regulate these responses in cells, the most critical is the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. As such, SHP-1 has been shown to be a key negative regulator of signaling intensiity through both PRRs and proinflammatory cytokine receptors expressed on cells. Our current goal is to determine the mechanisms by which SHP-1 appropriately controls the biological activities of these receptors during pathogen-induced inflammatory responses in various tissues and how these controls might be disrupted during severe inflammatory diseases particularly within the central nervous system.

Selected References

Massa, P.T. and Wu, C. 1996 The role of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in the regulation of IFN-γ signaling in neural cells. J. Immunol. 157:5139-5144.